April Farmer Mixer Roundup
Though the Farm Bill has been front-and-center as of late, the farmers of NYFC are not forgetting to have a good time! April was full of young farmer mixers, from Fort Collins to Albuquerque, Texas to Rhode Island. In Fort Collins, farmers from Colorado’s Front Range celebrated their second mixer potluck-style, packing the Empire Grange and dancing to the banjo-picking tunes of Blue Grama Bluegrass. Seasonal brews from New Belgium and Odell... Read More
Young Farmer Nights Brings Together Farmers from Southeastern New England
A typical Young Farmer Nights tour.Photo courtesy of YFN web site. We are excited to welcome Young Farmer Nights of Rhode Island / Southeastern Massachusetts to our all-star directory of young and beginning farmer groups! YFN began as informal on-farm gatherings of like-minded folks and is now beginning its fourth season this year. The idea behind the Young Farmer Nights is to build a community of young farmers, farm interns, and folks interested... Read More
Farming and water in the West: An Intro
You may be noticing our posts on water issues, or our recent Op-Ed on Colorado farmers and water conservation, and perhaps are wondering why NYFC is diving into western water. As the first of many blog posts on this topic, the following paragraphs offer some background. In most of the U.S., water is relatively abundant. Many states enjoy an average precipitation of 50 or even up to 100 inches annually. Here in the Colorado River basin—where NYFC... Read More
Colorado’s young farmers ready to join Governor in conservation
Friends, please take a minute to check out my recent Op-Ed published in the Grand Junction Sentinel on Colorado River water conservation. Young farmers need to be at the forefront of the discussion of how to build a smart water future for Colorado and the Colorado River Basin! Please also note the action at the bottom–sign on in support of water conservation at startwithconservation.com! Colorado’s young farmers ready to join governor... Read More
Hot Off the Press! Land Transfer Made Simple
Thinking about one day purchasing land or working out a transfer process with an existing farmer? Hopefully by now you’ve checked out NYFC’s Directory on Land Resources. Right now, we want to highlight some new resources just released by Land for Good, a non-profit organization based in Keene, NH that offers education and assistance to farm seekers, farm families, landowners and communities in New England. Three new (free!) publications... Read More
Training New Farmers at the Center for Agroecology and Food Systems
The Center for Agroecology and Sustainable Food Systems (CASFS) at the University of California, Santa Cruz is a nationally renowned training program for organic growers. You can help strengthen programs like the Santa Cruz program: Tell Congress to support the Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program today. In addition to funding their important work, CASFS is also using Beginning Farmers and Ranchers Development Program monies to share... Read More
California’s Prop 37, a primer
With the defeat of Prop 37 in last week’s election, a long campaign battle in California has drawn to a close—for now. According to Ballotpedia, the proposition’s outline is as follows: “If Proposition 37 has been approved, it would have: Required labeling on raw or processed food offered for sale to consumers if the food is made from plants or animals with genetic material changed in specified ways. Prohibited labeling or advertising such... Read More
Succession Strategies for Beginning Farmers
An important new report by Michigan State University highlights the issue of farm succession after retirement, which is of much interest to new, beginning farmers. How might this apply to those of us planning a career in farming? First of all, a large turnover is expected soon among longstanding farmers surveyed in Michigan. According to the report, 40 percent of small-farm owners in the state are over the age of 65, and about 35 percent of Michigan... Read More
Join the Texas Young Farmer Coalition for its First Mixer on September 15th!
Join TXYFC for an evening of delicious brews, good company, and really smart farmers cold talkin’ at our first Young Farmer Mixer! We’re very, very excited to meet fellow young farmers in the Central Texas region, as well as those who are interested in farming, or are simply super into food and its production. Where: 5012 Eilers Ave. Austin, TX 78751 When: Doors at 6pm. Panel at 7pm. Wind down at 10pm What: Panel Discussion. Music. Networking.... Read More
Introducing Lori and Jason of Diamond Hill Farm
Tell me a little bit about your farm. The operational story of Diamond Hills Farm could fit on the back of a napkin as it has only been a physical entity for about a month. The real story of the farm lies in its conception and realization in the hearts and minds of the farmers Lori and Jason. The idea for the farm was conceived on camping trip to in Brooklyn, New York (Yes, there is one campsite in Brooklyn.) This annual vacation served as family... Read More
